ITALY UPDATE:  OUTSIDER PARTIES REACH AGREEMENT, PRIME MINISTER, CABINET TO BE NAMED BUT......

The two outsider parties, the Five Star Movement and  the League,  have reached agreement on a new government in Italy and plan to name a prime minister and cabinet within days.

They have also reached agreement on a common set of policies which will include standing up for Italy within the European Union seeking renegotiation of EU rules that hurt the country,

A crackdown on illegal immigration with increased deportations, a flat tax to help individuals and businesses, a repeal of the 2011 pension reform law and opposition to new sanctions on Russia are also part of the agenda of a new government.

The leaders of the two parties,  Luigi Di Maio of Five Star and Matteo Salvini of the League, will meet separately with the Italian president later today at 430 and 6pm Italian time (1030am and 12 Noon Eastern time US)

It will be up to Italian President Sergio Mattarella to approve the new prime minister and its possible that Mattarella, a former politician from the pro-EU "Left" coalition in Italy, may refuse to do so.

Mattarella has noted in recent days that a former president declined to approve the proposed prime minister in 1955.

Another new development over the weekend was the Saturday decision by a Milan court to "rehabilitate" high profile Uniparty politician Silvio Berlusconi.   The court ruled that the billionaire media magnate is now eligible to run for public office again after a 2013 conviction for tax fraud.

When Berlusconi first emerged on the public scene in the 1970's and 80' to dominate privately owned television in Italy, he called himself a socialist and supported the Socialist Party.

In the 1990's he emerged on the Italian political scene with his "Forza Italia" party named after a popular soccer team.  Berlusconi served three terms as Prime Minister and was considered to be the leader of the "Center-Right" in Italian politics.

His flamboyant and theatrical style including fainting on stage and being punched by assailants while walking in large crowds with cameras around him has caused some to compare him to President Donald Trump.

After the economic downturn of 2008, Berlusconi pulled out of politics to allow a "technocratic" government to move in to impose harsh austerity measures on the country, which in part has contributed to the rise of new political forces like the Five Star Movement.

For this year's election, Berlusconi revived his "Forza Italia" party that was part of the "Right" coalition  but finished second inside that coalition to the League, which now intends to form a government with the Five Star Movement.

We shall have to wait to see how Italy's president reacts to a new government proposed to him and if any roadblocks put up by him will lead to a new election or cirumstance where Mr. Berlusconi might be enabled to stir things up and thwart outsider political forces in Italy now on the verge of achieving power.

Some mainstream media reports describe the anticipated government emerging in Italy as "radical".

(EDITED MONDAY AM)